Ferrochrome, ferronickel and other nickeliferous alloys are widely used in steel industry for the production of refined steel. Owing to the high price and low availability of nickel, attempts have been made at least partly to replace nickel with manganese in steelmaking.
Manganese is usually added to the steelmaking process for the final control of the manganese content of steel. The addition can be made, for instance, into an argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) converter in the form of metallic manganese bodies, which have been produced by electrolysis. The operating costs of an electrolytic manganese manufacturing process are very high.
Remarkable amounts of finely divided manganese ore particles are generated in connection with mining, crushing, transportation and handling of manganese ore. Manganese ore fines having a grain size under 6-9 mm cannot be directly used in manganese ore smelting. Ore fines tend to form covers and crusts on top of the charge in an electric furnace. Crust formation can cause gas eruptions, problems in the settling of the charge and extensive disturbances in the smelting operation.
Manganese-containing refined steel can be used as a corrosion resistant metal under less harsh conditions than nickel-containing refined steel. Manganese-containing refined steel can be used, for instance, in the manufacture of kitchen equipment, such as washing stands, food serving apparatus, cutlery, among other things. In this way the costs of the products can be made lower than the costs of corresponding nickel-containing products.
There is a need in the art for a method and a ferroalloy product by means of which the use of manganese as a raw material in steelmaking can be made easier and more cost-effective.